


Second Chances

by DryDreams



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, recall, tearful reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 18:36:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17534066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DryDreams/pseuds/DryDreams
Summary: Genji was even more beautiful than he remembered.





	Second Chances

They hadn’t agreed to anything when they parted. Or rather, when Jesse left. In fact, Jesse hadn’t said a word. He couldn’t bear to. He was a coward.

He had offered to take Genji with him. Before he even really decided to leave, he’d asked. Come with me. _Run away with me._

“I owe them my life, Jesse.” Was the response. Every time. 

Which is what Gabe had told them both. What Gabe had lorded over Jesse since the beginning. For a while he had even fully believed it. 

That is, until he could hardly bring himself to believe in anything.

At the time, he felt as though he couldn’t possibly stand to hear Genji say it again. It hurt too much. 

Leaving hurt even more. Almost unbearably. The dull ache of loss settled in his chest and stayed. For months after, the guilt nearly ate him alive. 

What had he done? How could he have left something so good behind? How could he not have _said_ anything. 

_It wasn’t your fault. He chose to stay. You couldn’t have made him change his mind._

_No one could have changed his mind._

_You weren’t_ enough _to change his mind._

That’s the one that stuck, in the end. Jesse wasn’t enough. Just wasn’t an ‘enough’ kind of man. After a dozen letters that never got sent, he made his peace with that. Didn’t look to try and be enough for anyone again. 

Now, what felt like lifetimes later, he was back. Not exactly full of purpose, but ready to fight the good fight. Back in the day, until it all went wrong...he had believed in Overwatch. He believed in Lena, Angie...Fareeha, all grown, as much a superhero as her mother had been. He believed in these new heroes, now, felt a swell of pride seeing them step up to the plate. So of course he came back. 

What he didn’t expect—what he absolutely should have expected, foolish man— was Genji.

Jesse had waltzed right into that watchpoint, reveling in nostalgia and greetings from old friends. Admittedly he was even feeling a little vain, keenly aware that he’d matured, won some experience points. 

Everything ground to a stop the moment he laid eyes on Genji. 

There was no question, despite the drastic change, who Jesse was looking at. The curve of his back was the same, somehow. The way he held himself, the curl of his pinky as he held a mug. That soft black hair, now streaked with some grey. To Jesse’s absolute terror, it took only a fraction of a second for memories of carding his fingers through that hair to come flooding back. 

Maybe he let some sort of noise slip out, because Genji turned. 

There was a beat of silence as their eyes met. The cup hitting the table with a clatter and a splash would have almost been satisfying had Jesse’s world not instantly shrunk, zeroing in on those brown eyes. 

Speechless for once, Jesse opened his mouth and then closed it again. Genji just stared. Thank the good Lord, the omnic sitting across the table from Genji— who Jesse had not even registered the presence of— spoke first. 

“Genji!” He spoke, a tinge of alarm in his pleasantly synthesized voice. “Are you well?Is this an acquaintance of yours?”

After a moment Genji blinked and then looked down at the mess he’d made. Then he looked up at the omnic. “Yes master, I am alright. I apologize for my clumsiness, I do not know how I managed to lose my grip.” 

Jesse failed to contain his scoff. No way it was believable that Genji would ever in his life fumble anything. He got another look at those beautiful eyes again when Genji shot him a glare. The omnic graciously pretended not to notice. 

As Genji reached for something to clean up the spill, Jesse realized that he was not planning to answer the second question. So against his better judgement he stepped forward and introduced himself. 

“Genji and I are old friends. Happy to meet one of his new ones. The name’s Jesse McCree.” He held a hand out over the table. Genji huffed. 

“Greetings, Jesse,” The omnic responded brightly, though his handshake felt amusingly unpracticed. “I am Zenyatta. I recall now that Genji has mentioned your name before, and am glad to see your face.”

At this point, Jesse could feel invisible knives in his back as Genji stared at them both. Figuring that any teasing could lose him a finger or five, and knowing more deeply and sorrowfully that he had very likely lost the right to tease years ago, the cowboy backed off. 

“Well, I’ve got more greeting to do, so I’ll see you gentlemen around.” 

Zenyatta nodded politely as Genji simply looked away. Unfortunately it wasn’t quickly enough that Jesse didn’t catch the flash of hurt in his eyes. 

Hurt which haunted him for the rest of the afternoon and late into the night. 

That same guilt that he had managed to repress for so long came rushing back, along with a myriad of other tangled emotions. Genji was even more beautiful than he remembered. Softer, with laugh lines that Jesse longed to press kisses to. Decked out in silver and green, the armor may have hidden the scarred curve of Genji’s neck but Jesse sure as hell remembered that, too. Even his voice was different. He spoke more gently, and somehow more confidently than he had when Jesse first knew him.

Fuck, Jesse still loved him. Was undeniably still enamored with him, was…

Very rapidly being crushed once again by the thought that he had hurt this person he loved so much. 

No way did he have a chance now. Well, not as though he’d thought he had any chance before but for a split second; for just a _moment,_ when he laid eyes on that achingly familiar form, he’d entertained the thought. 

But he’d ruined it. Absolutely fucked it all to hell. Genji hadn’t even graced him with a word. And he deserved it.

The thing about Jesse McCree, though, was that he was selfish. Selfish, a little too proud, and had nothing to lose. So he decided to apologize. Soon. Once he’d found the words.

At some point, after staring into the darkness of his room for hours instead of sleeping, he became mildly satisfied with this decision. Or at least mildly satisfied with the fantastical idea of it. Okay, so he wasn’t sure he’d do it. But it was nice to entertain the thought. 

An attempt was made to sleep, but all he could see when he closed his eyes was the laugh lines at the corners of those beautiful eyes. 

So he did something he’d missed being able to do in the wee hours of the morning: headed to the raid the fridge. 

Gibraltar wasn’t a place he’d spent too much time back in the day, but he still remembered the path to the closest mess hall. As he padded down the corridor in his socks, he ran a hand over the wall. In the grand scheme of things, it hadn’t been that long since the fall of Overwatch. But God, it felt like eons. 

Only a dim light was on in the large dining area and the corners were dark. A hot drink on his mind, Jesse headed directly for the kitchen. He’d nearly made it, too, before the shadow behind him spoke up.

“I should have known you would come here as well.”

Mentally shaking away the alarm bells, Jesse turned around. “I wouldn’t have thought you would. Do you eat now?” It was a tease. Testing the waters. 

Genji stepped into the light. Arms crossed, removable armor gone, clad in soft pants. Brow still furrowed. Eyes shuttered. 

Jesse was grateful for how easy it was to hold his gaze and refused to look anywhere else.

“I have always eaten.”

“We’re really not playing, are we?”

The cold beat of silence made Jesse’s stomach twist. That, and Genji had always been especially striking when he was angry.

“Why would I play? I owe you no pleasure, Jesse McCree.” 

“No. You don’t.” More silence. Jesse cleared his throat. “Look. I...am so sorry. I know—“

Before he could say another word— before he could _blink,_ Genji was in his space. A sharp finger jabbed into his sternum. A heat that was somehow neither arousal nor fear rushed over Jesse and his breath caught in his throat. 

“How dare you.” Genji hissed. 

_He was so close._

“How _dare_ you, cowboy, come back here and think you can just make amends so simply. I am not so easy, you _bastard.”_

The ugly word was awful coming from that pretty mouth and Jesse’s throat ached. The urge to close his eyes was strong, the hurt twisting Genji’s face was like a dagger in his chest but he deserved to see it. 

“You left me. You didn’t say goodbye, you just _left,_ and, and…” 

As Genji’s voice broke Jesse’s heart broke with it. Cautiously he reached up and wrapped a hand around one thin wrist, deciding that possibly losing another arm wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. But there was no retaliation. Instead Genji’s eyes widened and then filled with tears.

“I don’t deserve anything from you, you’re right,” Jesse began. “You don’t owe me shit. If you want, I’ll leave tonight. But first, if you would listen… I’d like to say my piece.”

Bracing himself for rejection, Jesse moved to let go. To his surprise, Genji grabbed his hand, preventing him from pulling back. His words were so softly spoken that Jesse burned with them.

“Alright. I will listen.” 

Taking a deep, shaking breath, Jesse didn’t think twice before dropping to his knees. Unable to bear the tears any longer, he lowered his gaze to the scarred hand in his own. 

“Genji. I know that apologies fix nothing, but I’ve been sorry since the moment I stepped out the door. I was so conflicted, you know that. I didn’t feel like I could stay. I knew I couldn’t stay, not with the way things were going. And you wouldn’t go _with me,_ and I couldn’t cope with that, I couldn’t…” Jesse paused, not wanting to unwittingly deflect any of the blame.

“The truth is, I knew if you looked me in the eyes and asked me to stay, I’d do it. I wasn’t strong enough, back then. Not for you, not for Overwatch, not for anyone. And after I left, I wasn’t strong enough to face up to it neither. Hell, all the letters I didn’t send…”

Genji sniffled and Jesse looked back up. There was no hiding from any feelings now. Jesse was looking at the love of his life, right there in front of him, and there was no way he was losing him again.

“I’m not goin’ to beat around the bush anymore, Genji. You are...the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. You’re even more beautiful than you were before, and God knows I still love you, I never stopped loving you. I did you so wrong, and I will never forgive myself for that. If I could take it all back, I would in a heartbeat. I should have never left your side, because it’s where I goddamn belong. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I need you to know that I am sorry. You are the most precious thing in this godforsaken world, and I regret giving that up more than I’ve ever regretted anything.”

There were infinite more apologies running through Jesse’s mind but he forced himself to stop. Genji’s grip on his hand had grown so tight it would be uncomfortable were Jesse not losing himself in the touch. 

“Please, stand up,” Genji whispered. 

Jesse stood, anxiety pooling in his gut. 

Anxiety that turned immediately to tears when Genji stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jesse, burying his face in his chest. Jesse didn’t even have to think, returning the embrace was instinctive. Holding this man in his arms was like coming home. 

“You fool,” Genji said, voice muffled. “I forgave you long ago. I only failed to stop missing you. I missed you so much.” 

There was no telling how long they stood there, just holding on tightly and breathing each other in. There was a wet splotch on Jesse’s shirt and in Genji’s hair. Somehow, a thought rolled to the front of Jesse’s mind like the answer in a magic eight ball. A thought that sent shivers through him. His fingers flexed in the fabric of Genji’s shirt. After taking a deep breath, he spoke it softly.

“Would you kiss me?”

Genji drew a sharp breath. His hold on Jesse tightened for a moment before he lifted his head and peered up. His eyes were rimmed red and there were creases in his scarred cheek from Jesse’s shirt and he’d honestly never looked so lovely. 

“Please,” he whispered in return and in a heartbeat Jesse had dipped down, cupped his face and..

Nothing had ever felt so good as that kiss and it felt like nothing ever would. The slide of Genji’s lips on his was a heaven he thought that he would never have again. A sob escaped his throat as he pulled Genji closer and kissed him like they needed it to live. Genji made a soft, broken noise and fingers twisted in Jesse’s hair. “I’m sorry,” Jesse gasped between kisses. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh..” Genji soothed, petting at the nape of Jesse’s neck. He pulled back and gently touched their foreheads together. “Enough apologies. They do not make up for lost time.”

As their breath mingled Jesse felt as though he couldn’t possibly ever stop being this happy, this thankful. “You better tell me how I do that right away then, darlin’, cuz it’s all I plan on doin’ until you ask me to stop.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends ;; It’s been a long time since I wrote something I was really happy with but here I am, somehow. I hope this made you as emo as it made me. There may even be more, at some point.   
> Thank you for reading <3


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